CHAPTER 1 | BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

INTRODUCTION

Water is very essential to human lives. It is considered to be a basic need of human

beings, animals and plants. Nowadays, water shortage is becoming one of the biggest
problem in the world and there should be a solution in this kind of problem, it is no other
than water conservation.

Plants are also indispensable to human life as it takes part in the general
production of the necessities of people like food, medicine, and fiber which can be used
in manufacturing fabric and clothing. This also acts as settling chambers for particulate
pollutions. Similar to humans, plants also need water in order to make their own food and
water is considered one of the basic needs for plant growth. But one must consider such
potential situations in watering plants such as watering too much, too little or just enough
to sustain and maintain the plant growth because keeping the plant properly watered is
important to its health.

In the phase of advanced electronics and technology, the life of human being
should be simpler and more convenient, there is a need for many automated systems that
are capable of replacing or reducing human effort in their daily activities and jobs. In
accordance to the stated facts about plants and water, the proponents introduce one such
scheme of an arduino powered watering system with UV light control switch conservation
project which can also be advantageous and be able to contribute to the environment.
Since soil moisture determines the amount of liquid or water content of the soil, the
researchers will develop a device that will determine the moisture level of the soil that will
trigger a water irrigation system to release and gives sufficient water for the plants to reach
their full growth.

Simply, this project design study to focus on soil condition of a certain plant and
determine when the plants need to acquire adequate water. This system uses sensor-
technology along with microcontroller and other electronics in order to behave like smart
switching system which senses soil moisture level and irrigates the plant and provides
enough light if necessary.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to integrate both technical and practical skills in
order to design and implement a prototype of plant watering system interfaced in the
Arduino UNO microcontroller that will contribute to water conservation and minimize the
labour in the field of gardening. Specifically, it aims to achieve the following:

 To create an Arduino-powered plant watering system using different input

and output hardware components.
 To apply and implement the different concepts and theories about
microcontrollers to be able to generate codes needed by the system using
Arduino Uno microcontroller.
 To test and assess the functionality of the plant watering system with UV
light controlled switch and its ability to help in growing plants.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Advanced technology provides very wide range of possibilities which provides

solutions to human’s questions and perplexities. In the form of unique intersection
amongst biological engineering and electronics, the implication of this study is have
solutions in plant’s irrigation or watering system. This project is
programmed to discharge more precise amounts of water in a targeted area or plant,
which promotes water conservation hence it will provide convenience because it will
minimize the human labor. Although the system made in that way would be the most
appropriate for specific usage as solution for some daily and usual issues, there is a wide
spectrum of possibilities of implementing these systems as a long-term solution for many
agricultural and medical problems, some of which are undernourishment and air pollution
as most prominent, dangerous and important ones. Future possibilities include some
challenging and demanding ideas like joining plants of similar variety and characteristics
into complex connections of plants, called “Internet of plants”.

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

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The concept above is to be called as “Arduino – Powered Controlled Plant

Environment” (APCPE). The system basically runs through a 12V DC supply, an installed
soil moisture sensor will act as the system’s input provider. Any changes in the soil
moisture of the subject (plant) will be received and analyzed by the Arduino Uno which will
then determine the behaviour of the relay connected to a water pump and the behaviour
of another relay connected to a UV light. If the soil was identified as not moist, the relay
connected from the Arduino Uno and onto a water pump will command the pump to allow

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 the water contained in a bottle to flow in the subject (plant). Another relay connected from
the Arduino and onto another water pump returns the water flowing out from the vase back
into the water supply container. For the UV light, a time is set in the Arduino program which
will command the actuator to let a supply of an specific amount of DC input voltage to the
UV light to constitute as sunlight for the plant to photosynthesize, recreating day and night
in the outside environment. A 2x16 LCD display was integrated in the system to provide
fundamental information about the system’s status.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This project was planned and designed only for small scale automatic watering
system that has a UV light control switch which provides artificial sunlight for the sun. This
system includes a water pump. If the moisture sensor detects that the soil is already dry
and lacks water, the water pump will pump out water from the reservoir to the plant.
Moreover, this project uses a microcontroller to control the right amount of water to release
based on the moisture content
of the soil. It also uses a 12V DC supply that serves as the main power supply of the
system.
Due to system’s limitation, it has its own restriction. This project focuses primarily
on soil moisture content as the basis for the plant watering system, maintenance of the
system still requires human intervention to keep the watering system on course. Lastly,
the weather condition may interrupt the effectiveness of the soil moisture sensor.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Arduino Uno

The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328. It has 14 digital
input/output pins, 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a
power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support
the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a
AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started.

2. Water pump

The water pump is used to artificially supply water for a particular task. It can be
electronically controlled by interfacing it to a microcontroller. It can be triggered ON/OFF

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 by sending signals as required. The process of artificially supplying water is known as
pumping.

3. Servo Motor

A servo is a rotary actuator that allows for precise control of angular position, velocity
and acceleration. It consists of a suitable motor coupled to a sensor for position feedback.

4. Relay Module

A relay is an electrically operated switch of mains voltage. It means that it can be

turned on or off, letting the current go through or not.

5. Sensor
A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the
physical environment. The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure,
or any one of a great number of other environmental phenomena. The output is generally
a signal that is converted to human-readable display at the sensor location or transmitted
electronically over a network for reading or further processing.
6. Actuator
A device that moves or controls some mechanism. An actuator turns a control
signal into mechanical action such as an electric motor. Actuators may be based on
hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, thermal or mechanical means, but are increasingly being
driven by software. An actuator ties a control system to its environment.

7. Ultraviolet Light
A form of radiation which is not visible to the human eye. It's in an invisible part of
the "electromagnetic spectrum". Radiated energy, or radiation, is given off by many
objects: a light bulb, a crackling fire, and stars are some examples of objects which emit
radiation. The type of radiation being emitted depends on the temperature of the object.

8. LCD Display
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is an electronic display module and find a wide
range of applications.

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CHAPTER 2 | REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Ultraviolet light or UV light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is all around

us even though our eyes can't detect it. Our bodies use it to make vitamin D, but too much
exposure can cause painful burns and even cancer. Although UV light can be dangerous,
it is also very valuable and is used in many ways. UV light is used to identify biological
materials, like blood, at crime scenes and in places where sanitation is important. Because
it can kill viruses and bacteria, it is also used to sterilize medical and biological research
facilities and to sanitize much of our food and water.

Our primary natural source of UV radiation is the sun. Artificial sources include
tanning booths, black lights, mercury vapor lamps, LED lights, high-intensity discharge
lamps, fluorescent and incandescent sources, and some types of lasers. The UV spectrum
is divided into vacuum UV, far UV, UVC, UVB, and UVA. The highest energy forms of UV
light are almost completely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere in the ozone layer.
Conversely, UVB and UVA rays do penetrate the ozone layer. UVB is typically the most
destructive form of UV radiation because it has enough energy to damage cellular DNA
yet not enough to be completely absorbed by the atmosphere. On the other hand, the UVA
is the least harmful type of UV light that is most commonly encountered. UVA exposure
causing tanning of the skin initially, followed by sunburn after prolonged exposure. UVA is
also needed by humans for synthesis of vitamin D. However, just like UVB, overexposure
to UVA has been associated with toughening and wrinkling of the skin, suppression of the
immune system, and skin cancer.

Chesnutt, B. (n.d.). What is UV Light? – Definition, wavelengths and uses.

Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-ultraviolet-light-definition-
wavelength-uses.html

Arduino board is an open-source platform used to make electronics projects. It

consists of both a microcontroller and a part of the software or Integrated Development
Environment (IDE) that runs on your PC, used to write & upload computer code to the
physical board.The platform of an Arduino has become very famous with designers or
students just starting out with electronics, and for an excellent cause. Unlike most earlier
programmable circuit boards, the Arduino does not require a separate part of hardware in

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order to program a new code onto the board you can just use a USB cable. As well, the
Arduino IDE uses a basic version of C++, making it simpler to learn the program. At last,
Arduino board offers a typical form factor that breaks out the functions of the
microcontroller into a more available package. The Arduino boards includes the following
such as Arduino Uno, Lily Pad Arduino, Arduino Mega and Arduino Leonardo.

The Uno is a huge option for your initial Arduino. It consists of 14-digital I/O pins,
where 6-pins can be used as PWM (pulse width modulation outputs), 6-analog inputs, a
reset button, a power jack, a USB connection and more. It includes everything required to
hold up the microcontroller; simply attach it to a PC with the help of a USB cable and give
the supply to get started with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery.

The Lily Pad Arduino board is a wearable e-textile technology expanded by Leah
“ Buechley”and considerately designed by “Leah and SparkFun”. Each board was
imaginatively designed with huge connecting pads & a smooth back to let them to be sewn
into clothing using conductive thread. This Arduino also comprises of I/O, power, and also
sensor boards which are built especially for e-textiles.

The Arduino Mega is similar to the UNO’s big brother. It includes lots of digital I/O
pins (from that, 14-pins can be used as PWM o/ps), 6-analog inputs, a reset button, a
power jack, a USB connection and a reset button. It includes everything required to hold
up the microcontroller; simply attach it to a PC with the help of a USB cable and give the
supply to get started with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery.The huge number of pins make
this Arduino board very helpful for designing the projects that need a bunch of digital i/ps
or o/ps like lots buttons.

The first development board of an Arduino is the Leonardo board. This board uses
one microcontroller along with the USB. That means, it can be very simple and cheap
also. Because this board handles USB directly, program libraries are obtainable which let
the Arduino board to follow a keyboard of the computer, mouse, etc.

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 Agarwal, T. (n.d.). What are the Different Types of Arduino Boards. Retrieved from
https://www.elprocus.com/different-types-of-arduino-boards/

A sensor is a device used to measure a property, such as pressure, position,

temperature, or acceleration, and respond with feedback. The following are some variety
of sensors you can make used of when working with an arduino boards.

Rotation Sensor

- a resistor connected to a potentiometer and a three-pin connector which allows

you to connect an analog output and feed it VCC and GND, Moreover, it is
often used to determine the position of a motor, either servo motor, stepper,
DC, among others.

Sound Sensor

- This sensor has a microphone, an LM386 op amp and a potentiometer,

allowing you to capture any sound around it and turn it into an analog signal
output from 0V to VCC which can be converted to a signal to arduino from 0-
1024 in resolution ADC.

Smoke Sensor

- This sensor is used in fire detection systems, is a sensor that detects smoke
and gas, can be calibrated via a potentiometer and output signal can be
connected to an analog input Arduino module.

Soil Moisture Sensor

- The Moisture sensor is used to measure the water content or the moisture of
the soil. When the soil is having water shortage, the module output is at high
level, else the output is at low level. This sensor reminds the user to water their
plants and also monitors the moisture content of soil.

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 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor

- This sensor automatically sends an audio signal of 40 kHz and detect whether
there is a pulse signal back. It sends a signal and if received back it computes
the distance traveled by the signal, thus the distance from the sensor to the
object in front of the it. It can sense an object in the range: 2cm~500cm.

Temperature Sensor

- You can use this Arduino compatible sensor to monitor the ambient
temperature or humidity. As a basic project, you can plug an LCD to Arduino
and have it display the room temperature/humidity.

Water Level Sensor

- Level sensors are used to detect the level of substances that can flow. Such
substances include liquids, slurries, granular material and powders. Such
measurements can be used to determine the amount of materials within a
closed container or the flow of water in open channels.

Top used Sensors for Arduino. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://tutorial45.com/top-

used-sensors-for-arduino/

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

Soil organisms are the catalysts that link elemental exchange among the
lithosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Understanding the rates of these exchanges,
and the sequestration of elements within any pool, is becoming increasingly crucial to
understanding soil processes and to sustainable management of local processes that are
linked to the global climate. Indeed, scaling may be the single most difficult task in the
study of soil ecological processes. The nutrient transformations that take place on the
surfaces of soil particles, roots, and soil microbes must be defined and scaled up for
managing soil nutrient and energy transformation at the ecosystem level.

Water regulates respiration and soil CO2 both directly and indirectly: directly, in
that root and microbial growth require water but the rates decline as water content exceeds

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a threshold at which oxygen becomes limiting; and indirectly, in that as soil water content
increases, it fills pore space and reduces CO2 amounts and diffusivity in the soil. Although
water entering the soil system is generally measured at a single point and reported as
monthly precipitation, snow and rainfall can be highly variable over short distances,
resulting in a complex spatial pattern of soil moisture distribution. Following precipitation,
water moves chaotically downward through the soil profile through soil pores and along
routes formed by earthworms and decayed roots, and live roots and mycorrhizal hyphae
move water horizontally. Non-saturating precipitation leads to spatial and temporal
complexity in nutrient pulses and absorbs some of the gaseous O2 and CO2. Subsequent
soil drying patterns beneath complex canopies are driven by further spatial variation in
solar radiation. All of these small-scale moisture-driven processes result in complex
temporal and spatial variations that influence soil respiration and CO2 production.

Scientists are developing new technologies that use smaller, less expensive, and
more robust sensors for abiotic conditions in difficult-to-measure environments. A critical
advantage in using these technologies is that spatially and temporally dense
measurements can be taken to describe a phenomenon at a point, and to scale up to a
region of interest. Below we describe a number of probes, image systems, and integrated
components that make up a soil-sensing unit. In our test bed, all sensors and observation
systems are deployed along a ridge at the San Jacinto James Reserve, a Natural Reserve
System field station of the University of California, a mixed-conifer forest in southern
California. This ridge is especially suitable for testing arrays of these technologies because
there is a wide spatial and temporal range in temperature, moisture, canopy coverage,
and litter depths. However, the soils are relatively uniform and the bedrock shallow.

Michael et.al. (2007, November 1). Soil Sensor Technology: Life within a Pixel.
Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/57/10/859/232460

A soil moisture sensor was developed which was based on fringing capacitance
and the increase in dielectric constant of a soil-water mixture with water content. The
frequency shift of an RC oscillator connected to the capacitance sensor electrode was
measured by a microcontroller. The data is communicated by a built-in RF transmitter
(433MHz) to a receiver or base station for logging and display. This battery-operated
sensor/transmitter is expected to have an operational life of several years.

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 Soil moisture measurements provide useful information for agriculture, such as
grape growers, soil stability monitoring, dam monitoring and construction activities.
Wireless sensor data monitoring is much less labor intensive than periodic sampling by
workers for most applications. Updates need be done only infrequently (e.g. daily), and
only with moderate accuracy, but monitoring is often needed over a wide area and for long
periods. An array of widely dispersed battery-operated wireless sensors is ideal for that
application. To conserve battery power and lower costs, brief intermittent RF transmission
is employed. A capacitance sensor to measure soil moisture has been developed. It has
good resolution and reproducibility, which allows trends in moisture changes to be tracked.

The dielectric constant of materials or mixtures containing water increases

markedly with moisture content because the dielectric constant of water is 10 to30times
higher than the common materials in which it is adsorbed or mixed, as discussed in more
detail below. A capacitor with a mixture as the dielectric will display a significant, and
proportional, capacitance increase with moisture content. However, the dielectric
constant, and thus capacitance, is a non-linear function of the moisture content at least in
soil, grain and other lossy materials.

Wobschall, D. (1978). A Frequency Shift Dielectric Soil Moisture Sensor. Retrieved

from
https://www.academia.edu/3381420/A_Frequency_Shift_Dielectric_Soil_Moisture_Sens
or

SYNTHESIS

With the related literature and related studies, the group was able to support their
idea that sensors can be used for a plant watering system. An Arduino Uno was used by
the group as the microcontroller which has an operating voltage of 5V. Since the group’s
main objective is to create a functional plant watering system, a soil moisture sensor was
used to measure the water content or the moisture of the soil. This sensor reminds the
user to water their plants and also monitors the moisture content of soil. Moreover, a soil
moisture sensor requires a 3.3V - 5V input voltage which the Arduino can provide. For the
plant to also have sufficient UV light this prototype used an UV LED lights which serves
as an artificial sunlight of the plant. A UV light fluorescent bulb requires larger input
voltage. However, a UV light LED uses a smaller input voltage that is within the range of
the operating voltage of the Arduino Uno, thus a UV LED light was used.

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CHAPTER 3 | METHODOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT STAGE

a) Software Development

The APCPE project is projected to be developed through the Arduino Language;

a programming language which has a lot of similarities with the C/C++ programming

language. The program will be coded on an Arduino programming application installed in

a medium powered laptop; a hardware installed with an intel Core i5 and runs in a

Windows 7 version.

b) Hardware Development

In the hardware development we plan to create a suitable case for the project to

have a practical environment for the plant and the components needed. The project

components are an Arduino Uno, three power relays, two water pumps, UV LED lights, a

moisture sensor, a water level sensor, and a 2x16 LCD display.

With this project the watering system for a plant will be efficient and convenient

because it does not only recreate the outside environment but it is also an improved version of

it. And in line with the previous statement, this will help in the conservation of water.

TESTING STAGE

In this stage, our project Automatic Watering System with UV light will be tested indoors
in order to control the atmosphere and observe carefully the results or improvement of the plant.
We will be planting Sansevieria, this plant is considered as one of the resilient plants that can
survive even with low maintenance. This plant is also renowned for qualities that help purify the
air that we breathe. For the soil, we will be using succulent and cactus mix combined with potting
soil to give proper nutrients to the plant. Moreover, as we prepare the plant and soil we will also
set up our system so we can have a smooth flow for the test that we will be conducting. After

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planting it, we will assign the code to the Arduino system that has 2 power relays connected to it.
One is connected to the water pump while the other is connected to the UV light. There is also a
moisture sensor connected to the plant in which it can sense if the plant is dry, it will give signal
to the power relay then allows the water pump. Since the plant can easily rot, it is important to
make sure the soil is well drained or get proper amount of water. Upon watering the plant, the
sensor will sense if it has enough moisture and water then it will send signal to the Arduino system
to stop the water pump. Likewise, if the moisture sensor sense that the plant was over watered,
it will then send signal to the power relay to turn on the UV light. The Sansevieria tolerates medium
exposure of light hence temperature conditions ranges from 55-85°F

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